Category: Comment

Climate change, storytelling, and the subversive power of imagination

Deborah Dutta
Climate crisis is almost upon us and yet all that we are still doing is talking and not really taking any action. Why? Because the human brain is built to experience the present and react to the immediate. We still don’t see climate crisis as imminent and therefore are unable to take collective action. We need to train our brains to imagine our crises-ridden future so that it can goad us into action today.

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Teacher beliefs in the classroom

Chandrika Muralidhar and Vikas Chandra Roy
They heavily influence a teacher’s pedagogy and behaviour in the classroom, yet teacher beliefs are not given much thought. How are these beliefs formed, how much do they affect a teacher’s practice and why is it important to be alert to their existence?

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India’s investment in education

Sushama Yermal
This year when the union budget was presented in the parliament, much was made of the “huge” amount set aside for the education sector. It was also pointed out that this figure, the highest ever so far, was also around eight per cent higher than what was allocated in the previous year’s budget. So does this really call for a celebration? Are we finally doing what needs to be done to uplift public education?

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Cleaning up speech!

Pooja Birwatkar
Swear words have become commonplace especially among young adults. Are these words acceptable in a school environment? Should not the classroom be a place for good behaviour? What steps can teachers take to curb the use of these words in everyday language? This article lists a few strategies to address this issue.

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Education for peace

D. Balakrishna and R Venkatesh
Education is possible and thrives under peaceful circumstances, but can we use education to promote peace? Here are a few suggestions.

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Engaging students with the world

Guncha Mehta
Why is a language class looked down upon by students who feel that there is no need to master a language when their goals or aspirations are inclined towards the sciences? How can students be made to realise the value of a language and its importance in the larger scheme of things? One way is for teachers to bring a global perspective to the language class so that this ‘irrelevant subject’ can get its worth.

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Instructed versus acquired learning

Seetha Anand Vaidyam
If we think about it, in life most of what we know is self-learnt. This perhaps should tell us that we must cut back on deliberate instruction in school and give children more freedom to think and explore on their own. This process will enhance their ability to learn, which in turn will help them imbibe what is taught.

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